In a portable device for receiving and transmitting text messages, a problem arises when the device is pocket sized, since, due to its small size, it cannot conveniently accommodate both a multi-line display and a full alphabetic keyboard.
An attempt has been made to solve this problem by providing a display divided into two areas, being a message area, which shows a portion of the message being composed or edited, and a character selection area, which displays a list of characters for use in composing or editing the message. A set of keys is provided for moving a cursor within the selection area in order to select a required character which then appears in the message area. By moving the cursor from character to character, the user can compose a complete message. However, this method is tedious and slow. It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus by which messages can be composed or edited, not only more effortlessly but also significantly faster.